EuroWire September 2023

Focus on USA

A simple solution for dirty wire It is not uncommon to have some “dirty” wire in stock. Wire fabrication involves oil, grease and metallic dust, which gets transferred to the wire processing equipment and degrades its performance. Metallic dust mixed with oil and grease can cause machine problems and failures with production stops. The simplest and most economical solution is to add a “rubber washer” at the wire entry of the equipment, but this will still be messy – oil and dirt will concentrate on the washer and eventually fall to the floor. A small new device made by AIM wipes the wire before it enters equipment. The wire passes through multiple high-durometer rubber wipes, which are easily replaceable by the user. Oil and debris is collected in a container, keeping the equipment clean and dry, and increasing production by reducing cleaning maintenance. The new Wire-Wiper is available in two versions: a simple three-wipe system; and a three-wipe system with liquid cleaning and drying stages, plus a liquid pump to “wash” the wire and recycle the liquid from a large container, then dry it with an air-wipe. For AIM customers, the device includes a bracket for AIM straighteners. The wipes are available for most standard wire sizes. AIM, Inc www.aimmachines.com Continuous strand annealing

The new Wire-Wiper device

CM Furnaces Inc’s main focus for the wire industry is providing continuous strand annealing furnaces, in a variety of sizes for different production requirements. The furnaces are most widely used for stainless steel titanium, molybdenum and tungsten, and are also used for special applications for copper, brass and low carbon steel. CM accommodates a size range from 0.07 to 19mm. The furnaces operate in a protective atmosphere. Many applications use a hydrogen environment, while others use argon. The furnaces are specifically tailored to customer requirements. CM Furnaces Inc www.cmfurnaces.com

A typical unit from CM Furnaces

Wide range of used equipment Wire & Plastic Machinery was founded in 1981 as a dealer of pre-owned non-ferrous wire and cable machinery. The range of services offered includes reconditioning of machinery (including commissioning at the customer’s plant site), equipment brokering, plant liquidations, worldwide sales and support. combined experience, the engineering team is able to offer reconditioned solutions from individual items to com- plete plants. In-house capabilities include machining centres and an electronics department that has experience of the latest generation AC vector drives, PLC programming and HMI interfaces.

For “checked-out operational” machinery, Wire & Plastic determines the selected equipment to be in excellent condition, and tests it to make sure all components are in good running order. The machine is cleaned and painted after being thoroughly inspected, but is not usually dismantled. Any worn or broken com- ponents are replaced. Existing drives are utilised, but if any problems are found in the electrics, the components will be replaced. The company also sells some equipment in “as is” condition. The company will be exhibiting at IWCS in September, on booth 113. Wire & Plastic Machinery Corp www.wireandplastic.com

The commissioning engineers travel the world for start-up, commissioning and trouble-shooting. All rebuilt equipment is supplied with a one-year warranty. For rebuilt equipment, the machine is fully disassembled; all bearings and worn parts are replaced, and new drives are installed. The equipment is fully run-tested at Wire & Plastic’s shop prior to shipment.

The company has eight warehouses in the USA, with more than 30,000 items in inventory. The total covered area is three million square feet. In addition, the company has three complete reconditioning centres with modern machine shops. Staffed with mechanical and electrical engineers with over 100 years of

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September 2023